Anthropometric Study on the Location of the Mental Foramen / 체질인류학회지

The Mental foramen is the exit of the mandibular canal through which the mental nerve pass. The location of the mental foramen, an anthropologically valuable structure, is not only influenced by factors such as tooth attrition, age, loss of teeth, and alveolar bone resorption but also race, diet and geographical position. This study was undertaken to clarify the anthropological characteristics of the location of the mental foramina in the mandibles of the selected Korean population. Forty four mandibles (23 males and 21 females with average age of 66.5 years obtained from the collection of the department of anatomy and cell biology of Hanyang medical college were studied. The apparent position of mental foramen in relation to the mandibular teeth and the true position of mental foramen in relation to the body of the mandible were measured. The obtained results were as follows: In 89% of 35 mandibular sides the mental foramen was located around the second premolar, the most commonly between the second premolar and the first molar, which belongs to type V according to Wang et al. (1986). The distances from the alveolar bone crest across the mental foramen to the lower border of the mandible was 27.4+/-2.4 mm. The mean distances from mental foramen to the alveolar crest and lower border were 12.1+/-2.3 and 13.1+/-2.0 mm, respectively. The mean position of mental foramen was 4.08 on the line between the second premolar and the first molar. The mental foramen of selected Korean population was located more posterioly when compared with many previous reports from various races. The results of this study would be useful to clarify the anthropological position of the mental foramen in Korean.

The Position of Mandibular Canal in the Sections of the Mandible / 체질인류학회지

The complications and sequelae after the mandibular surgery are related to inferior alveolar neurovascular bundles, which pass through the mandibular canal. The knowledge of their positions would decrease the risk of mandibular surgery dramatically and would be used for the development of the new surgical techniques. This study was undertaken to clarify the anatomical position of mandibular canal for the mandibular surgery. Forty four mandibules (23 males and 21 females average 66.5 years) obtained from the collection of Hanyang medical college were studied. The location of mandibular canal in the sections between premolars and molars were measured. The obtained results were as follows; At first, the mandibular canal lay lingual to the distal part of the body of the mandible. It then ran anteriorly and to the buccal part of the mandible between the first and the second premolars. In the sections between premolars and molars, the distance between the mandibular canal and the lower border of mandibular body was 8.9+/-1.9 mm at the position of the first molar, the distance between the deepest point of the alveolar socket and the mandibular canal was 9.5+/-3.5 mm at the second molar, which was the narrowest point. The results of this study would be useful to decrease the risk of the mandibular surgery and to develop the new techniques for mandibul surgery in the field of the dentistry and maxillofacial surgery.

Alterations of PKC theta, NF-kappa B, and AP-1 in Ischemic-reperfused Tibialis Anterior and Soleus Muscles of Rats / 체질인류학회지

Ischemic-reperfusion injury of skeletal muscles takes place in the phase of reperfusion and induces cellular damages through activating various transcription factors and genes, which initiate signal transduction. The purpose of this study was to observe changes of expression of NF-kappa B and AP-1, which are known as a redox sensitive transcription factors in ischemic-reperfused rat skeletal muscles, and PKC theta which activate NF-kappa B and AP-1. Sprague-Dawley male rats of nine, thirty, and sixty-five weeks old were divided into control and ischemia groups. Ischemia was performed by occlusion of left common iliac artery for 4 hours using rodent vascular clamps. The animals were sacrificed at hours 0, 1, 3 and 6 after onset of reperfusion and tibialis anterior and soleus muscles were removed. The distributions of PKC theta, NF-kappa B, and AP-1 immunoreactivity (IMR) were examined using immunohistochemical methods. The results as follows; In control groups, PKC theta IMR was decreased with age and was higher in tibialis anterior than that in soleus muscles. In ischemia groups, PKC theta IMR was increased with age and was higher in soleus than that in tibialis anterior muscles. In control groups, NF-kappa B IMR was decreased with age. In ischemia groups, NF-kappa B IMR was increased with age and was higher in soleus than that in tibialis anterior muscles. In control groups, AP-1 IMR was decreased with age. In ischemia groups, AP-1 IMR was increased with age and was higher in tibialis anterior than that in soleus muscles. Increase or decrease of PKC theta IMR was associated with the increase or decrease of NF-kappa B and AP-1 IMR in ischemic-reperfused rat skeletal muscles, respectively. These results suggested that the increased expression of PKC theta may induce the upregulations of NF-kappa B and AP-1 in ischemic-reperfusion injury of rat skeletal muscle. It is also suggested that the ischemic injury may be increased with age, and tibialis anterior muscle is more susceptabile to ischemic-reperfusion injury than soleus muscle.